The Absolute, OCCC’s literary and artistic journal since 1972, is a creative forum that allows anyone in the Oklahoma City metro to submit their work. This semester, the publication is also hosting new events to engage the campus community.
Last month, the Absolute partnered with OCCC’s Keith Leftwich Memorial Library to host a zine workshop, which included a presentation on the history of zines (small-batch independent publications also known as fanzines) and provided materials for students to create one of their own. More recently, the Absolute followed up with another creativity workshop in The Pioneer newsroom, where participants were encouraged to create vision boards using collage art.
Faculty Advisor for the Absolute
In recent years, the Absolute has not hosted as many events as it had in the past. Chair of English Jeffrey Provine, the current faculty advisor for the publication, said the drop-off in event involvement was mainly due to COVID-19, but he noted that the Absolute is looking forward to hosting more creative opportunities this semester.
Provine said he first became involved with the Absolute in 2011, when he submitted his short story “Diner” to the literary journal while he was working at OCCC as an adjunct professor.
As for how he became the advisor, Provine explained: “When longtime Absolute coordinator Professor (Marybeth) McCauley left, we needed a new coordinator, and I was eager to step up. I’d had a bit of publication experience with my Okie Comics magazine, so I was glad to bring those skills to the institution.”
Anyone interested in reading Provine’s short story can find a physical copy of the 2011 edition of the Absolute in the OCCC library, which houses copies of every edition published to date.
When asked about his favorite memory during his time with the Absolute, Provine had difficulty choosing just one but ultimately recalled a nursing student who submitted a wood-burning piece depicting the OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center.
Provine said that when he asked the student if she wanted the piece back, she declined because she believed “it wasn’t good.” He kept the artwork, believing it was exceptional – especially for a first attempt at wood burning – and it now has a dedicated place in his office.
With Provine’s passion for the arts at the helm, along with its hardworking student editors, the future of the Absolute appears bright, filled with creative events that continue to inspire and engage the campus community.
